GOP congressional candidate Vaughn Ward was enthusiastically endorsed by former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna, former state Board of Education President Milford Terrell and Canyon County Prosecutor John Bujak at a Statehouse press conference on Tuesday as he kicked off an 18-stop, four-day official announcement tour around the 1st Congressional District. On Tuesday, Ward, a decorated Iraq war veteran, and Kempthorne will make four North Idaho appearances starting at Chic and Chop in Bonners Ferry at 7:30 a.m.  Ward will continue Thursday to St. Maries, Moscow, Lewiston and Grangeville, and will wrap up the tour Friday with numerous stops including a final one in Caldwell.
    
Ward faces state Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, in the GOP primary for a chance to take on Democratic Congressman Walt Minnick.     Ward has been traveling the district and campaigning since last spring, and has raised more than $400,000 for his campaign. He said he's making his official announcement now because after 10 months of meeting with Idahoans and 600 events around the district, he's convinced his campaign is a go. "I look at Idaho and I see our state being haggled over by politicians who are unaccountable to the people and are more concerned about self-preservation," Ward said. "It is time to usher in a new era of leaders." Ward was an aide on then-U.S. Sen. Kempthorne's staff before he joined the Marines and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

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